


The Outlaw's Deputy

by HeathNils



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Circa 1880s, Deputy Sheriff!Natsu, M/M, Salon!Fairy Tail Guild, Sheriff!Gray, Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-02-27 16:16:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18742579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeathNils/pseuds/HeathNils
Summary: "When you love someone, you protect them from the pain. You don't become the cause of the pain."- UnknownIn the small western town of Magnolia, Salamander or Natsu Dragneel was the deputy sheriff who kept the peace and secured justice until one night, Black Steel Gajeel and his gang ride into town with the intent of raiding it only for Black Steel Gajeel to kidnap the deputy sheriff! Now as his prisoner, Natsu must learn to not only accept his new life but to also melt the steel around Black Steel Gajeel's heart.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Have you ever had that feeling when you watched a past arc in an anime you like whether it was for nostalgia reasons or waiting for that particular anime or another anime to come out with newer episodes/seasons/arcs and then for whatever reason you immediately watch a documentary of a random time in human history and you were immediately struck by the inspiration to write? Yeah-- That happened for me after I watched the Phantom Lord Arc in Fairy Tail and watched Natsu and Gajeel duke it out and then proceeded to watch a documentary about the Wild West and an abandoned town in the Midwest. 
> 
> I fell in love with the idea of Sheriff!Natsu and Outlaw!Gajeel. X3

The year was 1885, a nice warm Spring day in the month of March and in the town of Magnolia everything was going about its usual business.

Magnolia was a desert mining town with the population of 600 people and still growing. Magnolia was located in the center of the southeastern part of Fiore, on the large land mass known as Earthland with the Calm Sea and the merchant and trading town of Hargeon a little farther to the south and with a series of minor built-up towns and villages following a railway line to the north.

Magnolia was built in desert valley extending over a large, rectangular surface splitting the town vertically and horizontally is a series of large roads. The town was surrounded by a large number of canyon and cliff faces surrounding the town with a equally large nearby system of tunnels and caves rich with gold. The whole place is was what anyone would expect a town in the wild west to look like, though its buildings did hold a mild reminiscent of to the Medieval period but cleaner. Located in the middle of the town was Kardia Cathedral, one of it's most important and distinctive landmarks and in the northernmost part of the city was Fairy Tail, a popular saloon and to the west; the jailhouse and its neighboring gallows.

Inside the building was the deputy sheriff, his badge blazing proudly on his chest as he completed the last of his portion of the paperwork his name; Natsu Dragneel, a lean and slightly muscular young man of 17 with a slightly tan skin tone from his exposure to the sun in part of his job. Despite his rather young age, his deceptive large doe-like green eyes that was full of passion and life, his pink-colored hair that looked wild and untamed like the very frontier they resided in, he was best lawman in this dusty town. He was recognized easily by the scale-pattern scarf he was never seen without, never taking it off, not even in the most sweltering of days in Summer; It was the last gift his father had given him before he disappeared.

Many a lawbreaker dared not to break the law in his or his partner's path or even dared to cross it.

He let out a large yawn, stretching his arms high into the sky until he heard that satisfying 'pop' in his back. He looked up at the wooden clock that hung on the wall next to him ticking away and discovered that it was now 4 pm. He turned back around and smiled brightly while his eyes sparkled with delight. He was finally done for the day!

How the time sure flew.

He got up and quickly grabbed his satchel from where it hung from a rusty hook next to his desk and grabbed the ring of iron-cast keys from the top of the old wooden desk that was cleared of the messy paperwork that awaited him and his partner. He made a quick run-through in the jailhouse, in the one holding cell, making sure everything was in place before he called it a night and when everything checked out, he stepped out into the warm heat of the afternoon. He closed the rickety wooden door and was about to lock it when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Hey! Hey Natsu!"

He turned around before giving off his famous sunny smile. "Hey Popsicle Brain!"

"Ha-- Funny." Came that sarcastic chuckle. "Pyro Ass."

Gray Fullbuster was the Sheriff of this quiet town and Natsu's best friend/rival and was seen easily by his necklace that resembles a sword with a stone in it. He was no older then Natsu at 19 with raven hair was as wild and untamed as Natsu's with sharp dark blue eyes that could not be easily deceived and despite working out in the heat and sun as often as Natsu, allowing his body to remain toned and muscular, he alas, was pale. He had a scar on his forehead above his left eye that is partially covered by his hair from a duel between him and his older brother and a cross-shaped scar on his lower abdomen from a recent train robbery that they busted yesterday.

"You headin' home?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded, locking the door. "Paperwork's all done and I'll have it sent to Mayor Dreyar and I'll also have it mailed in the morning onto the next pony express out of town."

"Good good." Gray nodded as Natsu jumped the only two steps and joined him walking back to town. "So... Any plans tonight?"

"What?"

"Ya' know--" Gray waved his hands dismissively. "You gonna go to the salon for a drink?"

"Oh!" Natsu flushed pink but was quick to catch himself. "N-No. Not tonight. I was just thinking of heading home and maybe sleeping."

"That's it?"

"Well yeah," Natsu blinked, "Why? What do you plan tonight?"

"Well I'm heading to the Fairy Tail salon. Get a drink," Gray turned to gave Natsu a smirk, "And maybe talk with Juvia."

"Juvia?"

"One of the salon girls... Hear she's got the hots for me."

Natsu knew who Juvia was. "Does she now?"

"Yeah." Gray shrugged. "Might as well give her a shot."

"Really?"

"Really." Gray nodded. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" Natsu sniped.

"Don't you wanna go home with a girl?" Gray smirked waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "I hear another salon girl Lucy? She's got the hots for you."

"Wha-- NO!" Natsu's face was burning. "NO! I'm just gonna go home!"

"Sure sure," Gray chortled, "And I'm not going to Fairy Tail to see the Water Goddess, Juvia~"

"Oh shut up you perv!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!"

"I SAID YOU'RE A PERV!"

"THAT'S IT! COME'RE PYRO!"

"COME AT ME!"

The two men continued to argue and throw jabs at each other as they walked down the hill and into the town, a sight that was normal to the people of Magnolia who knew the Sheriff and the Deputy Sheriff. They eventually split ways in the heart of the town, Gray to the salon and Natsu continued to walk further into the town, toward the gates, to his home; A little log cabin that sat aways out of town by means of a twenty-minute walk. He entered his cozy homestead and threw his satchel into the nearest wooden chair as he leaned against the door frame and he let out a heavy sigh.

Natsu couldn't understand how he fell in love someone like Gray.

He knew he had no chance. It was unnatural for a man to love another man but alas he did and it had to be another man that had the eyes for the most beautiful, most reviled, most annoying-- at least to him she was-- woman in the wild west, Juvia. It was inevitable that Gray and Juvia would likely fall in love, get hitched and start a family together while Natsu would be left in the dust, to pick up his life and figure out what to do with his life. He sighed and pushed himself up and made his way to the kitchen to make himself something quick to eat.

He was 17 years old. He was still young. Natsu knew he had plenty of time before he turned 21 to fix himself up and find himself a nice girl, like Lucy or Lisanna, get married and maybe start his own family. 

He just had no idea how soon his life was going to change.


	2. Raid!

_"You'll never catch me."_

_He let out a growl, twisting his body into the direction of the voice, his gun out and aimed at random direction in the dark. He was sweating profously, he didn't know where he was or how he got here all he knew was that it was pitch black and he couldn't see anything at all! All he could hear was that voice, that filled him with such rage he wasn't sure it would be considered human. He twisted again, his pistol pointing in a new direction._

_"What chance does a little boy like you have against me?"_

_"Shut up!" He roared into the darkness, he pulled the trigger, hoping to silence this bodiless bastard only to discover that his pistol only clicked._

_No bullets._

_His eyes snapped up into the darkness as that damned voice spoke to him once; laughing._

_"You'll never beat me!"_

_"SHUT UP!" He screamed, frantically clicking the gun rapidly, temper flaring. "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"_

_He hated him!_

_HE HATED HIM!_

_The voice just laughed._

His eyes snapped open when the sounds of the church bells being frantically rattled pierced the warm Spring air with their terrified cries. He shot up in his bed, his eyes wide as the sounds of screaming pierced the air and he was on his feet, throwing the covers off his body as the sounds of something, something large, was being being smashed, crushed. He pulled off his nightgown, throwing it to the floor in a crumpled heap and he sped through his house, trying to find his clothes as a loud bang followed by the sounds of gunfire popping entered the air. He found his clothes and quickly pulled them on, grabbing his gun holster from his bed, snapping it to his waist and wrapped his treasured scarf around his neck as he ran to his front door, nearly ripping the door from it's hinges and almost recoiled in horror at the sight before him.

The town was engulfed in flames!

He numbly stepped outside, body numbed, legs stiff as he walked down the only two steps and toward the town before he paused, tears threatening to spill. A scream pierced the glowing and shook Natsu from his stuck mind. He quickly shook his head, clearing his thoughts, yanking his trusty pistol out of its holster and dashed to the center of the town. People were running and screaming, trying desperately to get away from the fires; Fires Natsu now saw was were caused by men, men that were laughing as they set fires once they ransacked the building.

Criminals. 

"HEY!"

The men jolted, pausing in their attack as Natsu came barreling at them. They dropped everything and fled with Natsu following close behind.

"Natsu!"

Natsu jolted, pausing and looked to the direction of the voice that called him and found Gray running toward him; covered in soot and dirt.

"Gray!" Natsu called, running toward the panting ravenette. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack." Gray said, glaring at the destruction around them. "It's Black Steel and his gang."

"Black Steel?" Natsu's eyes grew wide and he whipped his head back to the destruction. "He's here?"

Black Steel had to be the most notoriously wanted and elusive outlaw in all of the untamed and still undiscovered West. The mysterious and brutal criminal with his gang of like-minded men had committed a variety of crimes, ranging from arson, robbery of banks and stage coaches, destruction of property, kidnapping and ransoming and the occasional death of a few or more civilians. No one knew who he was or how he and his posse came to be but the one thing Natsu and all law enforcement knew was that he was the weed growing in the beautiful rose garden of society, strangling them with his contaminant roots and he was the bane of Natsu's existence. When was committing of the crimes he would be known for, he was often tormenting Natsu and his partner Gray, the only to people have seen him, despite his masked face, mocking them, taunting them about them being nothing more then mere 'boys' playing with toys before escaping into the night.

Natsu more so then Gray.

As Black Steel and Natsu had a bit of history going back, starting with their fathers and maybe going as far back as their fathers but all Natsu knew was that he wanted-- no, needed-- to capture Black Steel and have a town-wide public execution.

"Likely." Gray nodded. "Though no reported sightings. But that don't mean he's far behind."

"We have to stop him!" Natsu said. "End his reign of terror once and for all!"

"Agreed." Gray said. "We're stopping him here and now. You take the south side of the town, I'll take the north! Shoot! We ain't taking prisoners!"

"Right!"

Both men split up and ran down their agreed sections, keeping their eyes peeled for their target. Natsu ran through the burning and crumbling town as people ran past him, screaming in fear as the sound of men laughing and horses whinnying grew louder and louder. Natsu pressed forward, running through the destruction and shooting the men he knew had a connection with Black Steel, while he guided the terrified townspeople away from the destruction as he ran further into the burning city. He kept running until he eventually reached the edge of town, coming to a stop with a heavy breath and frantically began to look around, trying to spot something. 

Upon finding or seeing nothing, he turned around and was about to run into the direction and meet with Gray and see if he either got something or he needed a hand when a voice; the most hated voice in all of the Wild West spoke.

"Well well, if it ain't my favorite kid."

Natsu stopped and slowly turned on his heel and found himself facing the one man they had been looking for.

"Black Steel."

There, walking toward the deputy-sheriff from the fiery inferno that had been a drugstore was the very man that had been eluding justice. Donned in a dark long coat with gloves, shirt, pants and boots and with the lower half of his face covered by a dark bandanna and hat barely allowing any noticeable facial features be seen was Black Steel. A tall and muscular man with long, unkempt dark hair and red eyes with slitted dark pupils; the only things that could be seen in the clothed cover. He walked to the pinkette, his personalized pistol bouncing against his thigh as he moved, likely smirking underneath that dark bandanna he wore.

"It's been awhile."

"Indeed." Natsu sneered, finger twitching against the trigger. "It has been a time."

"You've grown." Black Steel commented. "Last I saw ya', you barely even touched yer daddy's shoulders."

Natsu growled low in his throat. 

Black Steel merely chuckled at the noise. "My, don't we sound excited. Is this how ya' greet old friends?"

"Don't be cocky," Natsu scoffed, raising his gun, pointing it at Black Steel, "You ain't no _'friend'_ of mine! I'm just _'excited'_ that I'm gonna be the one ending you... Once and for all."

To prove his point, Natsu cocked his gun, pulling the hammer far back until it clicked into place-- Ready to be fired.

"There will be no trial, no defense and no second chances for you," Natsu said, "No. We're just ending it. You'll be executed here and now. Beg all you want Black Steel but you and your men had this coming for a long time!"

He expected the man to become engulfed in fear or maybe in some sort of aggressive form of rage, hell, he'd even accept a plea bargain from the arrogant and rather pride-filled man. His grip on his pistol faltered, a look of shock crossed his features when Black Steel threw his head back and started laughing. Natsu quickly regained his posture immediately and pointed his gun back at Black Steel's head, his anger and his rage coursing through his blood.

"What the hell is funny?!" He demanded, body shaking.

"You." Was the response. "You just say the cutest things--"

"What's so _'cute'_ about my promise, Black Steel?!" Natsu roared. "This is the end! I'm going to end what our fathers had started once and for all! You hear me?! Once and for all."

Black Steel scoffed. "Yeah... Sure like ta see ya' try kid."

That made the rage boil in his blood. How dare he-- "You bastard!"

Black Steel let out a bark of laughter that set off Natsu's temper like a spark to a keg of gunpowder. His finger just about pulled the trigger, to end that annoying laughter, when Black Steel lifted his own weapon, with speed and precision that could not be humanly possibly, shot the pistol straight out of Natsu's hand, eliciting a cry of both pain and surprise from the pinkette. Natsu quickly pulled his throbbing hand to his chest with a hiss while his gun landed into the dirt a few feet away from him, out of reach. His wide eyes snapped up to stare into those glowing red eyes that laughed at him as he made his way over to the now unarmed pinkette. 

"As I told you before kid," He could hear Black Steel sneer under the bandana, "You can't beat me."

"My name is not _'Kid'_ ," Natsu seethed through the pain, "My name is Natsu Dragneel!"

"Whatever you say-- _'Kid'_." He smirked while Natsu snarled. "Ya' talk like an adult but face it-- Yer just a kid."

"Shut up."

"A kid who's wielding his daddy's gun like a toy," Black Steel continued as he moved closer and closer to the pinkette, "And lives in his own little world where the good guys always win."

He stopped just before pinkette, his covered face barely an inch from Natsu.

"What a cute little world ya' live in."

Natsu gasped as he felt the barrel of Black Steel's pistol caressed the left side of his face, pushing strands of wild pink hair away from his face before it pressed itself into his left temple. He gulped as heard the click of gun getting ready to be fired.

"I could kill ya'," Black Steel breathed, "Here and now."

"What's stopping you?" Natsu breathed back.

"If I kill ya'," Black Steel answered, "Then I'd lose all my fun."

"Don't worry," Natsu sneered, "Kill me and I'm sure Gray will _'see'_ that you won't be bored much longer."

"Who's Gray?" Black Steel sneered. "Yer boyfriend?"

Natsu's face became pink but he kept a straight face. "My partner and your downfall. If you kill me, here and now, he'll hunt you down like the dog you are!"

"I'm sure he would."

"Boss!"

Both men turned to face a man, donned in black and face covered as well, approached Black Steel, who never wavered in his hold on the pistol pointed at Natsu's temple.

"What?"

"We've looted everything we could get," The man reported, "They've been loaded up onto the wagons."

"Good good." Black Steel nodded. 

"And we had some causalities," the man said.

"Oh yeah?"

"We ran into the Sheriff," the man continued, "And possibly his partner, the deputy sheriff."

"Oh?" Those red eyes landed on Natsu once more. "Been busy killin' my men huh?"

Natsu shivered.

"Is-- Is that--" the man took a step back, "Boss! It's the deputy sheriff-- Salamander!"

"' _Salamander'_ huh?" Natsu could hear the smirk on the bastard's face. "Cute name, kid. Ya come up with that when ya were just a youngin' playing pretend?"

"It's not cute," Natsu seethed, "I am the best gunslinger in these here parts! It's not a title they'd give to a _'kid'_!"

"What do we do with him boss?" The man asked. "We can't let him walk away alive."

Black Steel didn't answer. Natsu closed his eyes expected the answer to come in the form of a bullet to his head, to silence him and allow him and his men to make their escape. What he didn't expect was that the gun's muzzle was pulled away from his temple and when he opened his eyes to see why, he was instead greeted with terrible pain that bloomed in the side of his head where Black Steel had once placed his gun prior. Natsu let out a pained cry, dropping to the ground, clutching the side of his head, vaguely aware he was bleeding.

"Hand me some rope."

"Whatcha' gonna do?"

Natsu sucked up a shaky breath, panic entering his bloodstream as he felt both of his arms being yanked behind his back and he was shoved face-first into the dirt. His vision swam and he numbly felt the rope being wrapped rather tightly around his wrists and stomach, tied tight and was yanked off the ground and was yanked/shoved into one direction while Black Steel kept a good hold on his upper arm.

"Yer comin' with us kid." Black Steel said as he bodily shoved Natsu once more. "Yer my prisoner now."

Natsu dearly wanted to say something, to fight back-- Anything but the pain became unbearable and the next thing the pinkette knew he had been swallowed up by the darkness.


	3. Black Steel

_He clutched his favorite stuffed dragon doll close as he slowly slid down the narrowed thick wooden staircase, down from his bed in the loft as he followed the sounds of a fire crackling gently. He carefully crept to the corner at the bottom of the stairs and peeked around the corner where he could see the deep red and orange glow of a fire illuminating the entire room. There, sitting in a thick, large cedar chair, he could see a large man sitting there in front the fire, widdling away at a wooden block in his hands with a large pocket knife as he hummed an unfamiliar tune under his breath._

_He was a rather massive man with long dark, red hair that was tied into a low ponytail, dark gold eyes and dark skin. He had a scar vertical through his right eye, a X-shaped scar over his right cheek and numerous others over his stomach and neck, hidden underneath the heavy clothing he wore._

_He timidly came out from behind his corner and approached the large man._

_"P-Papa?"_

_The man jumped, all humming stopped, nearly dropping both the wood and the knife in his hands. He turned around, towards him, eyes wide before he let out a sigh, relaxing as a gentle smile appeared on his face._

_"What is it son?" He said, placing the items down and opening his arms wide to him. "Why are still awake?"_

_"I can't sleep." He answered as he quickly waddled into the offered arms. He buried his face into his father's broad chest. "I'm scared."_

_"Scared?" His father chortled, holding him tight as he easily lifted him onto his lap. "What's there to be scared of?"_

_"..." He mumbled._

_"What?" His father chuckled, rubbing his back. "I can't understand ya' when ya' mumble little one."_

_"... The Bad Man." He finally whispered. He peered up at his father. "I'm scared of him, Papa."_

_"It's okay, Son," he soothed, "Black Steel and his gang ain't gonna get ya'. Or anybody. Not while I'm still around."_

_"Why does the Bad Man hurt people?" He asked. "And take their stuffs?"_

_"Because he's a bad guy." His father answered, bouncing him on his knee. "And bad guys need no reason to hurt people, take their things or destroy their homes. They do it because to them, it's funny."_

_"It's not nice." He mumbled, snuggling closer. "Not funny neither."_

_"No. It's not." His father agreed. "But that's why we're here. We're here to protect the people and stop the bad guys."_

_"Am I gonna stop a bad guy?" He asked with a hopeful smile as he peered up at his father with bright eyes. "Am I Papa?"_

_"Don't worry Son." He grinned. "Yer gonna be. You'll be the best lawman here in the West, any part of these lands when you grow up."_

_"Just like you?"_

_"Just like me."_

 

* * *

 

Natsu jolted, his eyes snapping open.

He blinked his eyes several times before he closed the them with a pained groan, curling in on himself a bit as his left temple pulsing with pain. He attempted to reach out to the throbbing pain, to rub it away or apply pressure to silence it, only to find that his arms were stuck. After a fair amount of time struggling, trying to free them, panic and adrenaline began to set in, shutting off his pain as he realized to his horror and confusion, that his hands were tied tightly by a thick coiling or rope behind his back as were both of his feet and the were both connect together.

He was essentially hogtied.

_'What the--'_

It was too dark for Natsu to make heads or tails as to where he was or what the large objects that surrounded him were, though he had a funny feeling that they were possibly crates, barrels filled with a variety of goods and he was in storage place somewhere. As he tried to calm down and think rationally on how he was going to escape his strange predicament, there was a sudden crunch followed by a lurch and his head bounced up before it smacked back down hard into the wooden floor with a loud thunk and he groaned in pain. His eyes widen. 

He was inside a moving wagon.

Why the hell was he in a wagon? How the hell did he even get here? He focused his hearing and could hear men talking, though he could not make what it was they were saying; He could hear them laughing, a few of them were arguing while others merely chatted away. He could hear the sounds of wagons being pulled and horses whinnying and snorting. Natsu attempted to call out them, to get help, to figure out where the hell he is when he froze, eyes wide and terrified. 

He had been gagged-- With his own scarf.

He was panicking at this point, struggling frantically to feel himself causing him rope burns on his wrists, straining pains in both his arms and legs and nearly pulling out his shoulders as he screamed desperately into his scarf. He jolted when he heard one of the horses, one he could assume was the one pulling the wagon he was in, suddenly let out a loud neigh as someone told it to yield, causing the wagon suddenly to lurched to a stop with a loud clunk, barrels and crates shifting toward the back of the wagon, where he was. He froze when he heard someone jumping down from another horse, approaching closer and closer to him with every sound of crunching gravel and he began to tremble, cold sweat enveloping him as a sudden thought occurred to him.

Was the person who had him, who rendered him helpless, friend or foe?

A mixture of horror and anger shot through his heart, coursing in his bloodstream when the canvas that hid the contents of the wagon from the view of the world was pulled back and the sight of a familiar masked face peered in, looking down at him and he wasn't alone as several of his men joined him, leering and laughing.

"Well well _'Salamander'_ ," he could heard the bastard smirk, "I wasn't expectin' ya' to wake up till we got back ta base. Don't get me wrong, glad yer gonna be joinin' us on our little trip."

Memories of how he ended up here now began to flood Natsu's mind; He had woken to find the town of Magnolia in flames, people were screaming and panicking, gunshots were fired and Natsu walked out to find that they were being raided by Black Steel and his gang. Natsu had ran through the town, helping people to safety while shooting down each member of Black Steel's gang he came across until he crossed the very man's path. He remembered Black Steel threatening to shoot him dead only for him to beat him upside the head and then darkness.

Natsu glared. "Mmagh Mmnh!"

"Oooh~ So scary~" Black Steel said mockingly before he let out a bark of laughter, his men joining him. "I'm soooo scared-- Look, I'm even shaking in my snake-skin boots!"

Natsu snarled.

"Yer about as theatenin' as a water-logged baby cat," Black Steel sneered, eyes narrowed as he leaned forward toward the pink-haired boy, "Yer cute, not at all _'scary'_ as you think you are."

"Mmn nhm mmhn!" Natsu shrieked into his scarf, face burning.

Black Steel laughed while many of his men looked confused and turned to each other unsure. "Yer cute, kid. Really cute. I never get tired of ya'."

Natsu could only growl.

Black Steel chuckled before he let out a loud whistling sound, a loud neigh responded to Black Steel's call and a large, dark Clydesdale horse trot up to him. The men quickly moved to the sides to allow the stallion to pass through without hindrance to his master and once the horse reached the man, he nipped at the side of Black Steel's head playfully. He smiled under the bandana and patted the side of the large horse's face gently.

"Hey Lily." Black Steel said softly before he pulled away from the horse and pulled out a small switchblade. He approached the helpless teen once more and those golden eyes widen. "Yer ridin' with me _'Salamander'_."

Natsu shook his head.

He wasn't going anywhere with this crook!

"You don't get a say." Black Steel sneered. "If I say yer ridin' with me, yer ridin' with me."

Black Steel pulled himself up into the wagon and quickly stooped down to the pink haired boy's level and quickly snatched him up easily and bodily threw him over his shoulder. Natsu's face was bright red as he screamed into his scarf and he squirmed to the best of his abilities while Black Steel righted himself and jumped out from the wagon.

"You sure about this Boss?" Asked one man.

"Yeah. How do we know he won't make a escape?"

Black Steel fixed them with a hard glare that had them all freeze. "Are ya' sayin' I don't know how to handle a prisoner?"

"N-No." One of the men stuttered. "Far from it!"

"Yeah!" Another agreed. "But this is Salamander we're talking about! The deputy sheriff!"

"And?"

"He may be a kid but they didn't make him the deputy sheriff for nothin'!"

Black Steel merely scoffed, adjusting his hold on the pinkette. "He ain't nothin' I can't handle." 

"I-If yer sure Boss--"

"I am." He whistled and his horse, Lily, trotted a little closer. Once the horse was close enough, he bodily threw Natsu across the back of the horse's rump with his gear. "Up ya' go, kid."

Natsu grunted as his stomach came into contact with the horse's rather bony rump, atop of the man's gear. He froze, eyes wide as he felt the bastard's hands on him once more and he watched with horror as Black Steel pulled out some rope and began tying him down in place like was indeed a part of the bastard's gear. Natsu struggled, trying to make it as difficult for this bastard as he physically could but it didn't seem to help or matter as Black Steel didn't seem hindered and successfully tied him into place. Satisfied with his work, Black Steel nodded and quickly pulled himself onto his horse's saddle, turning to his men.

"Let's head home boys!"

"Yeah!"

 

* * *

 

The next several miles would be the most humiliating moments in the pinkette's life.

Natsu felt like he had become nothing more then a hunted piece of meat as he bounced helplessly on the back of Black Steel's horse. All he could do was stare at the moving ground or glare at the back of Black Steel's head and the bandit for his part, somehow knowing that Natsu was glaring at him, would laugh and ruffle his hair, earning him more ire. Natsu blinked and craned his head a bit when a light suddenly entered the line of his sight.

They were approaching what looked to be a town.

"We're home boys!"

Everyone cheered at Black Steel's proud declaration. Natsu craned his head a bit more, to the extent his bindings would allow him, and read the gently swaying sign that hung from the town's front gate;

Rhondite.*

Natsu had heard of this town before. 

In the early 1850's, the town was first built and established when silver and iron ore was first discovered in the rivers and cliff sides of the mountains that surrounded the small but growing town. It boomed and flourished for a good 10 years before the silver and iron mines slowly began to dwindle away and more deposits were found further and further up the rivers and mountains. The miners and their families, as a result, moved with the deposits and essentially abandoned the town of Rhondite overnight.

 _'So this is where the coward hides!'_ Natsu sneered behind his scarf. _'Once I get out of here--'_

Natsu jolted and let out a muffled cry behind his scarf when Black Steel's horse reared slightly and the pinkette feared he was going to fall off but Black Steel's rope work was quite impressive and Natsu remained tied to the horse. Black Steel jumped down from his horse just as a small gathering of people began to appear and cluster before them, smiling and chatting among themselves as Black Steel approaches them, arms wide open.

"I'm back everyone!"

"HE'S BACK!"

"WELCOME BACK!"

"WELCOME HOME GAJEEL!"

"GAJEEL!"

"GAJEEL!"

 _'Gajeel?'_ Natsu blinked, craning his head to look at the back of the masked bandit's head. _'They meant Black Steel, right?'_

Black Steel grinned. "I brought ya' all the best news any of ya' would ever wanna hear-- Our raid was successful and showed those stuck-up prissy brats!"

A joyous roar erupted in the small town had Natsu reeled from the noise alone.

"But the good news just get better and better!" Black Steel smirked, stepping aside and held a hand out toward the helpless pinkette on the back of his horse. "We also captured their deputy sheriff, _'Salamander'_! The supposed _'best gunslinger'_ in the West!"

The crowd all jeered as their eyes fell onto him, all pointing, laughing and mocking the boy. Natsu glared and snarled at them before he let out a muffled shriek when Black Steel suddenly appeared before him, large knife in hand. He snapped his eyes shut.

This was it.

He was going to die.

This was why Black Steel kept him alive-- Brought him here in rather perfect piece. He was to be publicly executed before these men-- Just like the many he and Gray had done away with, the many men just like Black Steel, to send the very man a message. Now, it was his turn, he was going to be made into a message.

A message for Gray and all of Magnolia.

"Alright! We've got Salamander!"

"Get the ropes and the scaffold ready! We're having a hangin' tonight!"

"Yeah!"

"Hang 'im!"

"Hang 'im!"

Natsu gasped when the ropes securing him to the back of the horse fell away and Black Steel lifted him up and off the Clydesdale horse and over the man's shoulder. Natsu's face burned red at the rather embarrassing position he found himself in while Black Steel turned to the group behind him.

"We ain't hangin' 'im!" Black Steel barked, silencing the crowd.

The crowd, Natsu included, blinked and fixed the man with a look of disbelief and an incredulous stare. The men looked to each other then looked back to their leader.

"We aren't?"

"But... Why?"

 _'Yeah.'_ Natsu had to agree. _'Why?'_

"He's killed many of our men." One man said. "Made public displays of them!"

"Yeah." Another man agreed. "Him and his partner, the Ice Devil! Them and their fathers before them! Why not make an example of him?"

"Because he's my prisoner and what I say, goes." Black Steel grunted, patting Natsu on his right butt cheek causing the pinkette to squawk in embarrassment. "Besides... I want this one alive."

"Alive?"

"Why would you want him alive?"

"Because, as told the kid here, if we hang him-- kill 'im off," Black Steel began walking toward the center clearing of the town, followed closely by his horse, "I'd lose all my fun."

"Then what are ya' gonna do with 'im?" One man asked.

"Dunno." Black Steel answered and Natsu could hear that dark smile. "I think I'll put this little piglet to work-- And work 'im straight ta death. Needed a new stable hand for awhile now-- A slave."

"That's true..."

"A slave would be nice..."

"Always wanted one of those."

"Now we got that oughta the way--" Black Steel turned to face the crowd the men behind him, "The kid's staying with me and I'm retirin' for the night."

"Stay with you?!"

"But--"

Those steely red eyes fell upon them. "Are you questionin' me?"

"N-No!"

"Far from it! But- but--"

"But what?"

"This is Salamander we're talking! The best in the West!" One man said. "You sure you should have him under the same roof as you?"

"He's trussed up like the dog he is," Black Steel snorted earning a muffled roar from the pinkette, "What's he gonna do? Wiggle like a worm at me?"

"Uh--"

"That's... That's a fair point."

"Exactly." Black Steel waved them off. "Besides he ain't sleepin' in my house."

"He's... Not?"

"Huh?"

Black Steel grunted in response and turned on his heel, clicking his tongue and the dark Clydesdale horse began to follow him. Natsu bouncing helplessly on Black Steel's shoulder as they walked into the heart of the once abandoned town before moving toward the left, passing a few more of his men, waving and greeting them as he moved closer toward a large cabin that stood in the back, hidden under the shadow of the trees and mountain. He detoured and made his way toward a small barn next to the cabin. Inside the barn it was divided into separate stalls meant to house something large, like Black Steel's horse.

It was a stable.

With one hand, Black Steel pushed the gate open and stepped inside, a small hiss entered the air and an oil lantern was given light as they approached a smaller gate to the left and swung it open, clicking his tongue for the horse to follow him inside.

"Sorry about this Lily." Black Steel said, patting the side of the horse's face. "But yer gonna have to share yer room fer awhile."

The horse huffed in response.

Before Natsu could make heads on what Black Steel had said he suddenly found himself dropped, face first, partially onto the wooden floor and a pile of hay. While Natsu tried to move past the sudden and numbing pain in his face, chest and thighs, Black Steel stooped down quickly cut the ropes from around his wrists and ankles, freeing them and leaving only the scarf covering his mouth. He snatched the boy up by his pink hair, dragging the now fighting boy across the straw-strewn floor into the rather large stable and threw him against a thick wooden post just inside the space, giving the pinkette a fresh new wave of pain as his head bounced off it.

"Mmn!"

Black Steel grabbed and pulled both of Natsu's hands and yanked them around the post before looping and tying them securely to the wood and the gate that connected it. Natsu tugged at his bonds frantically but they held fast, leaving him trapped and with the way he was tied, he forced into a position as though he was sitting and hugging the wooden post. He glared at the bastard while he guided his horse into the stable and once the horse was inside to turned to the trapped pinkette.

"Get plenty of rest _'Salamander'_ ," Black Steel sneered, "Tomorrow's gonna be a _'big day'_ for you."

And with that, Black Steel turned on his heel with a laugh and shut the gate behind him, leaving Natsu alone in the semi-dark barn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = Rhondite, while it was also the name of the spin-off series of Fairy Tail featuring Gajeel, was the name of a town Gajeel grew up in and I thought it would be perfect for the setting. The town's history was actually based on an actual abandoned ghost town in Nevada called Ione and Hardin City

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not have altered a lot of things, like Natsu's age, the town itself and how many people live there to fit with the story and it's needs. I kinda based the Wild Westernized version of Magnolia on both Oatman, Arizona and Dodge City, Kansas. (' 3')  
> Shame on me (>w<)


End file.
